NATO Summit – delegations escorted successfully
The vast majority of the delegation members attending the NATO Summit arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday evening. These delegation members were escorted in motorcades by dozens of police officers, in cooperation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. In total hundreds of journeys were made. The situation in and around The Hague, and in the rest of the country, remained relatively calm.
The delegations were not escorted only over the roads that were closed to other traffic, but also through other parts of the country. ‘This is top notch police escort work’, remarked Willem Woelders, Commander of the National Crisis Team of the Netherlands Police. He added that the police deployment was going according to plan. In The Hague, the streets are quiet. Visible and invisible security measures are in place throughout the city. There is a large police presence, and police horses, vans and helicopters pass by regularly. ‘We are doing all we can to ensure that the Summit proceeds safely and without disruption. Our deployment is in keeping with the current state of affairs in the world’, said Woelders.
Accommodations
On Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that President Trump would be spending the night at Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, the residential palace of the King of the Netherlands. Woelders: ‘The security there is already very high, as we knew in advance that the heads of state and government would be dining in the palace on Tuesday evening. In consultation with the mayor of The Hague, the duration of the measures has been extended slightly. We are well prepared for all scenarios.’
Fire
In response to questions from the press about the fire on the rail tracks near Amsterdam on Tuesday morning, Woelders said that there were indications that the fire was the result of a criminal act. Investigation into what criminal acts were committed is ongoing. Woelders: ‘We are investigating from all angles and have not yet ruled out any scenarios.’ Woelders repeated the call by the Amsterdam Police Unit to report any irregularities on and around the rail tracks. ‘Any detail can help lead us to the perpetrators.’
Nationwide
On Tuesday various protests took place. Woelders: ‘Most protests were peaceful, calm and as expected. A few arrests were made in Rotterdam, but no extra police deployment has been required anywhere in the country so far. I am very happy with how everything is going: our police professionals are doing a really excellent job. There is still a day and a half to go, so we will remain vigilant.’